Austria's government has a problem.

She wants to give her citizens 600 million euros, but doesn't know how.

The millions are part of a package with which black and green want to curb the rise in energy costs.

Every household is to receive 150 euros in cash, as long as the income does not exceed the social security limit of 5670 euros per month.

If several people live in the household, the limit increases.

However, the government does not have the bank details of its citizens, so it cannot transfer the money.

Although the electricity suppliers have their customers' account details, they don't know how much they earn.

They don't even want to know that - and are therefore unable to act as processors.

Andreas Mihm

Business correspondent for Austria, Central and Eastern Europe and Turkey based in Vienna.

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For the second time within a few weeks, the coalition of Chancellor Karl Nehammer (ÖVP) is faced with the curious problem of wanting to give people money but not being able to.

Most recently, it was the 1 billion euro vaccination fleet in which all vaccinated people should participate.

The newspapers had already calculated the probabilities of one-off and multiple wins when the public broadcaster ORF announced that its hands were tied for legal reasons.

The finance minister is now saving the billion.

But the government is already faced with the next problem.

That means a climate bonus and is to be paid out to every resident in the second half of the year in the form of a premium of 100 to 200 euros.

Because then a CO2 tax of 30 euros per ton will be levied in Austria.

The income should be given back to the people.

The fact that this year, 1.25 billion euros, twice as much as is collected, should only be mentioned in passing - if it is distributed.

Environment Minister Leonore Gewessler (Greens), who is in charge of the concert of the four ministries, has neither the account nor other necessary data on the recipients.

Vouchers as a possible solution

However, the clarification of this issue is not as urgent as that of the energy cost subsidy.

Because he's supposed to help people now.

Whether he does so is disputed.

Gabriel Felbermayr, director of the economic research institute Wifo, doesn't think much of it.

He thought it would be better to support the financially weak by automatically adjusting social benefits to inflation.

The solution to the problem should now be a voucher.

It is to be sent to every household by post so that it can then be redeemed at its energy supplier.

He then gets the money back from the government.

The household should check for itself whether it is entitled to accept the voucher given due to its income situation.

Subsequent spot checks should ensure honesty.

At least in Vienna, people are already familiar with vouchers.

Here, in the first Corona wave of 2020, the mayor donated "Schnitzel vouchers" for all households to be redeemed in restaurants.

40 million euros were budgeted, the campaign had cost 14 million euros because not all vouchers were redeemed.

In the end, does the Minister of Finance still save money with the energy voucher?